Labeling machine



Filed Jan. 6, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Z'dwarrli'rmald M A 'rog EY .Aug. 13, 1929.

E. ERMOLD LABELING MACHINE Filed Jan. 6, .1926

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIII INVENTOR M ATTORNEY Aug. 13; 1929. E. ERMOLIS 1,724,700

LABELING MACHINE Filed Jan 6, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mlvil i i INVENTOR Edward Irma/(Z M ATTOR EY Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

EDWARD ERMOLD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LABELING MACHINE.

Application filed January This invention relates to labeling machines, and has for its primary object to provide certain improvements in a machine for labeling bottles and similar containers of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,308,280, issued to me on July 1, 1919.

It is one of the objects of my present 1nvention to provide an improved operating means for the bottle conveyer whereby the bottles are pulled or drawn to the label wipers with a steady continuous movement, and in which means is provided for breaking the connection between the conveyer drive gearing and the power source to permit of the manual operation and adjustment of the conveyer independently of such driy e gearing.

It is a further object of my present improvements to provide such a machine with automatically actuated date stamping means whereby the individual labels prior to their withdrawal from the magazine picker mechanism, each have the date when the label is applied to the bottle stamped or imprinted thereon.

It is also a further general object of my invention to provide a labeling machine hav ing the above noted improvements whereby its utility and eiiiciency is materially increased without greatly complicating the construction thereof.

With the aboveand other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved bottle labeling machine and more particularly in t-heform, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts constituting my present improvements, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have shown one simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a portion of the drive means for the bottle conveyer; v

Fig. 2 is a view looking to the opposite side of the machine from that shown in Fig. 1, 'a part of the machine frame being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Figs. 4, 5 and '6 are detail fragmentary 6, 1926. Serial No. 79,526.

vertical sectional views of the date stamping mechanism at different periods in the operation thereof.

In my present disclosure, I have illustrated only so much of the labeling machine as is necessary for a clear understanding of my present improvements. In general, the ma chine is of practically the same construction as that shown in my issued patent above referred to, and it will therefore, be understood that the bottle conveyer may be equipped for the simultaneous application of labels to a plurality of bottles. In the present instance, this conveyer, as in my issued patent, consists of spaced parallel endless link chains 5 connected with each other at spaced intervals by the transverse bars 6 to which suitable flights or bottle engaging fingers 7 are attached.

In the machine frame 8 the spaced shafts 9 and 10 respectively are supported. The shaft 10 has sprockets 11 fixed thereon adjacent its opposite ends over which the respective chains 5 are engaged. Similar sprockets 12 are keyed or otherwise fixed to a sleeve 13 looseley surrounding the other shaft 9 and with these latter sprockets the chains 5 are likewise engaged. The sleeve 13 has a spur gear 14 fixed on one end thereof and beyond this gear, a smaller s ur gear 15 is keyed to the shaft 9. Above t ese gears and upon the bearing bracket plate 16 for the sleeve 13 a horizontally disposed lever 17 is pivotally mounted at one of its ends as at 18. This'lever carries a stud shaft 19 upon which the gears 20 and 21 respectiveley are loosely mounted. Thesegears are rigidly connected with each other and are of different diameters for meshing engagement respectively, with the gears 14 and 15 on the sleeve 13 and shaft 9.

Intermediate of its ends the lever 17 is provided with a vertical slot 22 receiving the guide pin 23 projecting from the bracket plate 16. Above this pin a locking dog 24 is pivotally mounted upon the bracket plate. Below its pivot this dog is formed with a cam extension 25 having bearing engagement upon the lever 17 to hold the same against upward movement and inain tain the gears 20 and 21 in meshed engagement with the gears 14 and 15. It will therefore, be understood that when the upper end of the lever of the dog 24 is moved to the right from the position shown in Fig.

. cessity arises,'the conveyer can 2 of the drawings, said lever 17 may be lifted upon the guide pin 23 to thereby disengage the gears. The purpose of this arrangement will be presently explained.

The other end of the shaft 9 hasa' large gear wheel 26 fixed thereon, said gear wheel meshing with a pinion 27 on one side of the gear 28 which is journalled on a stud shaft 29 fixed in one side of the frame 5. This gear 28 in turn meshes with the pinion 30 carried by the pulley 31 mounted. on the stud shaft 32 and driven from a suitable source of power by the belt indicated at 33.

It will be understood from the above description that there is no driving connection of any kind either directly or indirectly with the other of the shafts 10 so that when the conveyer is operated and moved in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, no positive power impulse will be imparted to the chain by the sprocket wheels 11 which would tend to push the conveyer with the bottles thereon toward the label wiper indicated at 34. Moreover, it will be seen that in my present improvements I do not directly apply the power from the shaft 9 to the conveyor sprockets 12 but when said shaft is rotated through the medium of the gearing seen in Fig. 1, such rotation would be transmitted. through the intermeshed gears 15, 21, 20 and 14 to the sleeve 13 on which said conveyer sprockets are fixed. Thus, these sprockets will produce a steady, even pull on the two conveyer chains so that the bottles will be continuously drawn or pulled with a uniforminovement to the label wipers 34. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the other sprockets 11 serve merely as idlers for the support of the conveyer. I have found this new operating.

means for the conveyer to be of'prime importance in order to insure a proper move ment of the bottles to the wipers and the accurate application or attachment of the labels to the surfaces of the bottles.

Another advantage possessed by thisnew conveyer operating means is that when nebe manually moved or adjusted wholly independently of the operating gearing therefor. Thus, it is onlynecessary to throw the dog 24 as above explained and lift the lever 17 whereupon the gearing is disengaged and sleeve .13 disconnected the sleeve may now revolve freely upon said shaft in the movement of the conveyer. The conveyer may be conveniently moved and manually adjusted through the medium of a suitable hand wheel 35 fixed to one end of the other shaft 10. After the proper adjustment has been made, the lever 17 is lowered to again connect the gearing and said lever then locked in such position by the dog 24.

From an inspection of my issued patent, it will be noted that there is provided verfrom the shaft 9. Therefore,

37. The upper end of the label picker is provided with the angular bracket plate 38 and on this plate there is suitably mounted an ink absorbing roller 39.

A bar 41 extends horizontally across the front of the machine and is pivotally supported as at 40 in any suitable manner upon the machine frame. This bar carries a series of depending arms 42 corresponding in number to the number of the label magazines 37 and in the lower end of each of said arms one or more dating stamps 45 are removably mounted.

Any convenient means may be provided with the operation of the dating stamps at the proper time, but as herein shown for this purpose, I provide one end of the bar 41 with an arm 49 to which the upper end of a rod 50 is pivotally connected, said rod at its lower end having a yoke 51 straddling the shaft 10 and provided with a roller 52 engaged by the cam 53 fixed on said shaft. The vertically movable label picker 36 may be actuated by means similar to that shown in my issued patent, operated from the cam 54 fixed to the shaft 9.

In the operation of this label dating mechanism, it will be understood from reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings that, in the downward movement of the label picker, the ink roller 39 presses against the type faces of the datin stamp 45 and coats the same with ink. The dating stamp is moved to this positionthrough the medium of the cam 51 operating the rod 50. against the action of a .coil spring 55 and in the continued rotation of the cam, this spring contracts, thereby rocking shaft 40 and moving the dating stamp to the position shown in Fig. 4 and engaging the type thereof with considerable pressure against the face of the end label contained in the magazine 37 thereby imprinting the date thereon. In the upward movement of the label picker 36, cam 53 operates the rod 50 to rock the shaft 40 and move the dating stamp to substantially the position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and out of the path of move ment of the label picker so that the latter may move above the, dating stamp to a position for movement against the dated label. Thereafter, the label picker is moved away from the magazine, thus withdrawing the dated label and is then lowered to position such dated label in the path of movement of a bottle carried by the conveyer.

plies to the gummed surface of the outermost label in each magazine 37 the date upon which the bottles are labeled. Thus, this date cannot be changed, and should any question thereafter arise as to the age of the product contained in the bottles, the date upon which the bottles were labeled and placed upon the market can be incontestably established by simply removing the label and noting the date on the gummed side thereof.

From the foregoing description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my present improvements will be clearly and fully understood. The several changes and additions which I have made in my patented labeling machine are of a relatively simple character. I have found that these improvements not only increase the elliciency of the original machine but also enable the more speedy operation thereof with greater accuracy in the application of the labels to the bottles. The automatic dating mechanism as above explained is a very desirable addition to such machines, as many manufacturers desire to inform the public as to the date of bottling so that the public.

and labeling the product may be thus assured as to the freshness thereof. This mechanism is not herein claimed as it forms the subject matter of a divisional application for patent Serial No. 125,849, filed by me on July so, 1926.

In the above description, I have referred to an example of my present improvements which I hate found to be entirely satisfactory in practical operation and which are of such a simple nature that the manufacturing cost of the original machine is not thereby appreciably increased. However, it is apparent that the novel features of the invention might possibly be exemplified in numerous other alternative structures, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of making all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a machine having an endless con veyer, spaced shafts, idler sprockets on one of said shafts supporting the conveyer at one of its ends, power driven sprockets loosely mounted on the other shaft and supporting the conveyer at its opposite end, and power driven gearing for the latter sprockets including a gear element having a fixed connection with said sprockets, a second gear fixed on the latter shaft, relatively fixed power transmission gears engaged respectively with the latter gear and the first named gear element, and means for bodily shifting said power transmission gears into and out of intermeshing relation with the first named gear elements.

2. A machine having a conveyer, a shaft having sprocket wheels fixed thereon to engage and support one end of the conveyer, a hand-wheel on said shaft, a second shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on the second shaft, sprocket wheels keyed to the sleeve to receive and support the other end of the conveyer, a gear on said second shaft, a gear on said sleeve adjacent the gear on said second shaft, a bracket plate providing a bearing for the sleeve adjacent the gear thereon, a stud upon a lever pivoted to said plate, the lever, gears rigidly connected to each other mounted on said stud and meshing with the gears on the sleeve and said second shaft, said gears on the stud being disengageable from the gears on the second shaft and the sleeve through movement of the lever so that the hand-wheel can be turned to move the sprockets on the first shaft and the sprockets and sleeve on the second shaft to adjust the conveyer, and a dog to engage the lever and hold the gears on the stud in operative position with respect to the gears on the sleeve and the second shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

EDWARD ERMOLD. 

